Month: May 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Craig Wilkins, 37, of Rutland, pleaded not guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to charges that he possessed two handguns as a convicted felon and that he possessed fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute them.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Wilkins be held without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled.   

According to court records, on October 31, 2021, Rutland police officers and emergency medical personnel responded to a grocery store parking lot after a citizen reported that two people appeared to be unconscious inside a vehicle.  When officers arrived, the two occupants – Craig Wilkins, who was in the driver’s seat, and a female who was in the rear – were conscious but appeared to be under the influence of drugs.  Wilkins was asked to step out of the car for questioning and when he did so a round of ammunition fell to his feet.  Wilkins is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has prior Vermont felony convictions for distributing narcotics.  

Authorities impounded the automobile and obtained a state court warrant to search it.  In a backpack, which was on the front passenger seat, and in the glove compartment, officers recovered two handguns, about 177 grams of cocaine base, and about 15 grams of fentanyl.  Federal agents obtained a warrant for Wilkins’ arrest on April 12, and a federal grand jury in Burlington indicted Wilkins on the drug and gun charges on April 21.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely an accusation, and that Wilkins is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.

If convicted, Wilkins faces up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.  The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

The case was investigated by the Rutland Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

Wilkins is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.  The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. https:/www.justice.gov/psn   
 

Source: United States Department of Justice News

FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Daniel Harrison Wallace, 29, of Florence, was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. 

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on January 10, 2020, deputies with Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a camper in Hartsville to arrest an individual they believed resided there.  Upon approaching the camper, a deputy saw a firearm and suspected drugs through the camper’s open door.  Deputies removed the occupants of the camper, including Wallace, and searched the camper.  In the search, deputies discovered 112 grams of suspected marijuana, 165 grams of methamphetamine, $2,700 in cash, and four firearms.  In a subsequent statement, Wallace admitted that on January 9, 2020, he committed a robbery and used the proceeds of the robbery to purchase marijuana and methamphetamine, which he intended to sell.  He further stated that several of the firearms in the camper were his, and he had the firearms to prevent others from robbing him. 

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Wallace to 181 months imprisonment, to be followed by an eight-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Hartsville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that BENITA LOUISE SMITH, 56, of Kinnear, Wyoming was sentenced for making a false statement relating to a sexual assault investigation before United States District Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal. Smith was sentenced to time-served with two years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee.

On October 26, 2020, law enforcement responded to a call for service on the Wind River Reservation. At the scene, officers learned that Benita Smith had an active arrest warrant. Smith was arrested and transported to the Wind River Detention Center. After arriving at the facility, Smith falsely claimed she was sexually assaulted by the arresting officer during transport to the facility. Dash camera footage from inside the patrol car refuted Smith’s claims, and she retracted her allegation after a formal investigation was launched.  

“Actual victims of sexual assault never really stop suffering. They suffer physical pain during and after the assault. They must become stronger every day because they suffer emotionally every day. And when they bravely stand up and speak the truth, they still face devastating attacks on their credibility,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “A false accusation of sexual abuse is a despicable criminal act. It is a silent thief that steals so much from actual victims. This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work hard and do our part to ensure these crimes are punished.”

This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.  

Case No. 21-cr-00091-NDF

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Ankita Singh, 39, formerly of Maumee, Ohio, with fraudulently billing Medicare $8.4 million.

According to the indictment, the defendant was a state-licensed physician practicing in Maumee and Toledo.  From June 2018 through May 2021, it is alleged that the defendant participated in a scheme to bill Medicare approximately $8.4 million in durable medical equipment, prosthetics/orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) that were medically unnecessary.

As part of the scheme, it is alleged that telemarketers and call centers would contact or cold-call Medicare beneficiaries in an attempt to convince the beneficiaries to agree to receive DMEPOS, specifically braces, in the mail.  The call center operators and telemarketers often told beneficiaries that the braces would be provided at no cost and that a doctor would be contacting them.

The indictment states that the call centers and telemarketers would then use general information about the beneficiary, including their name, Medicare number and purported diagnosis, to prepare DMEPOS order forms that certified that the equipment and supplies were medically necessary.

According to the indictment, the defendant received these order forms and signed them, even though the defendant had never spoken to, examined, assessed or otherwise established a doctor-patient relationship with the beneficiary.  As a result, DMEPOS suppliers shipped the items listed on the order forms to the beneficiaries and submitted a corresponding claim to Medicare.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses, and the characteristics of the violation.

In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) and Cleveland FBI.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jody L. King.  

Source: United States Department of Justice News

          KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN – On May 10, 2022, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Mustafa Deville Reynolds, 24, of Grand Rapids, to 328 months (27 years and 4 months) in prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl that caused the deaths of two Grand Rapids men, announced U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. The two victims were 25 and 27 years old at the time of their deaths in August 2019.

          In the early morning hours of August 21, 2019, the victims were found by their roommates, unresponsive, just hours apart from one another. After initially being transported to the hospital, both men subsequently died from fentanyl and heroin toxicity. Detectives with the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) found evidence on cell phones that showed in the evening of August 20, 2019, Reynolds sold the fatal drugs directly to one of the victims, and that Reynolds sold the fatal drugs through a middleman to the other victim. One week later, on August 27, 2019, Reynolds sold a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to an undercover GRPD detective. During the sale, Reynolds pointed to the drugs and told the detective, “Be careful with that one. Don’t do too much.” Other evidence recovered from cell phones showed that Reynolds referred to the drugs he sold as “fire,” and used other individuals to “test” the potency of the lethal substances.

          In January 2022, a jury found Reynolds guilty of all three crimes: distributing heroin and fentanyl that resulted in the deaths of the two victims, and distributing heroin and fentanyl to the undercover detective. According to evidence admitted at trial, the victims thought they were buying heroin, but the heroin was laced with, or was mostly fentanyl. Specifically, a forensic chemist with the Michigan State Police testified that one of the baggies of alleged heroin that Reynolds sold to the undercover detective was predominately fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine.  At sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued that Reynolds’s comments to the undercover GRPD detective about the potency of the substance proved Reynolds knew he was selling deadly drugs, and therefore was deserving of a significant sentence.

          “Today’s sentence ensures accountability for the distribution of deadly drugs. Like the rest of the United States, Michigan remains in the midst of an opioid crisis. Individuals who order heroin are increasingly receiving fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is cheaper, easier to produce, and often lethal,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting these cases to ensure that drug dealers who cause death are brought to justice,” added Totten.

          “This sentence should serve notice to drug dealers that you will be held responsible for the lives you ruin and end. With the help of our law enforcement partners around the globe, we will continue investigating cases like these and follow the supply chain as far as necessary,” said Kent Kleinschmidt, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Detroit Division.

          “The illegal distribution of heroin and fentanyl continue to have devastating effects on our community,” said Grand Rapids Police Department Lieutenant Jonathan Wu.  “The sentencing of Mustafa Reynolds highlights the successful partnership between the Grand Rapids Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We are thankful for the dedication and hard work of all the officers, detectives, agents, and attorneys that worked together to bring this case to a successful conclusion. We are committed to investigating and prosecuting those in our communities that profit off the addiction of others,” added Wu.

          The Grand Rapids Police Department Vice Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan McGraw and Alexis Sanford.

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